Concentration of ores



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STANLEY TUCKER, OF LONDON, AND EDWIN EDSER, Q'F BROCKIIEY, IBBl'DON, ENG-LAND, ASSIGNORS T MINERALS SEPARATION NORTH AMERICAN CORPORA 'PION, OF NEW YURK, N. Y.

. lto mawing. Application filed November To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, STANLEY TUCKER, a subject of the King of England, residing at London, England, and EDWIN Ensnn a subject of the King of England, residing at Brockley, London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Concentration of Ores, of which the following is a specification.

his invention relates to improvements in the concentration of ores, and it refers more particularly to flotation separation, such as y the froth-flotation process described, for

example, in the prior United States Patents Nos. 835,120 to bulman, Picard and Ballot,

dated November 6, 1906, 962,678 to Sulman,

- Greenway and Higgins, dated June 28, 1910,

1,064:,723 to Greenway and Lavers, dated June 17, 1913, and application of Sulman and Edsel, Serial No. 162,320, filed April 16,

lhe froth fiotationprocess of concentrating ores as described in these prior specifi-,

cations consists in agitating and/ or aeratin the crushed ore in Water to which is adde a minute proportion of a mineral-frothing agent for the formation of a froth carrying themetalliferous articles which is allowed to float on the surface of the liquid separate from the'gangue particles, whence it is removed.

It has previously been proposed to treat oxidized metalliferous particles with soluble sulphides or sulphurettedhydrogen for the purpose of coating with or converting into particles so as to rendersulphide the oxide them capable of separation by the frothflotation process; a small quantity of a soluble sulphide has also been adde to the ore 4o pulp when treating a mixeis/iiilphide ore for the purpose of obtaining roth carrying certainof the particles in preference to other particles. p

In the prior Patent No. 1,236,857 to Martin dated August I l, 1917, it has been proposed to use a mineral-frothing agent consisting of or containing an oil which has been heated in the presence of sulphur, and in said prior application Serial 0.162E320 so the employment as the mineral-frothing agent of a soluble soap, such as sodium CONCENTRATION or cans 20, 1919. Seria1lfio.;339,384.

oleate, sodium stearate, sodium almitate orsodium resinate, has been descri ed,

It has now been found that there may be used as a mineral-frothing agent the fairly stable roduct obtained b adding to a solution 0 a soap, such as so ium oleate, a solution of an alkaline sulphide or sulphydrate; or by treating the solution of an alkaline sulphide with a fatty acid; or by mixing or combining materials or ingredients necessary to produce soluble soaps and alkaline sulphides, as for example by treating an alkaline hydrate or carbonate with sulphur and adding a fatty acid; or by treating asolution of an alkaline sulphide containing sulphur in excess of the normal sulphide with a fatty acid; or by adding a. soluble soa to an aqueous solution of sulphuretted hy rogen. a

When treating an alkaline sulphide with a. fatty acid or mixing or combining materials or ingredients necessary to (produce soluble soaps and alkaline sulphi es, the quantities thereof should preferably be such as to produce a solution which still contains some alkaline hydrosulphide, sulphide or polysulphide, or sulphuretted'hydrogen. It

is to be understood that if some sulphur or sulphuretted hydrogen is liberated during the preparation of the above, this will not necessarily prevent the formation of a frothforming reagent of peculiar efliciency.

Soluble soaps WhlCll are suitable for use in the present invention are the alkali compounds of the fatty or resin acids. That is they contain an acid soap-forming radical, and an alkali radical while the sulphur or sulphur compound furnishes a sulphide rad-.

ical. ,a The following are examples of the preparation of products suitable for mineralfrothing agents according to the present invention.

Example I.-46.5 grammes of oleic acid were added to a boiling solution of 20 amines of crystallized sodium sulphide (Na S.9H,6), in about 600 cos. of water, and. the clear or homogeneous solution obtained was diluted to 1 litre. Very little sulphuz'etted hydrogen was given off during the reaction.

30 Pb and 40.3% Zn.

Example Il.22 grammes of oleic 'acid were added to a hot solution prepared by boiling two grammes of sulphur in a solution of 20 grammes'of sodium sulphide crystals in about 600 cos. of water.

E sample Ill.22 grammes of oleic acid were added to a hot solution made by boiling 2 rammes of sulphur with 23 grammes o crystalline sesqui-carbonate of soda in about 600 ccs. of water. In this case some of the sulphur did not go into solution.

The following is an example of the use of the products prepared as described above in the froth-flotation process of concentrating ores, a differential separation being obtained:

500 grammes of an ore from aPeruvian mine containing 17.6% Pb as galena and 34% Zn as blende, crushed to 80 mesh, was made into-5:1 pulp with soft water containing 0.25% of liquid sodium silicate (140 Twaddell). 16 cos. of the product prepared as described in Example I above was added and the mixture was aerated by the sub-aeration method. A froth was formed, the solid contents of which Weighed 112 grammes and assayed 60% Pb and 12.2% Zn, giving a recovery of 76.5% Pb and 8% Zn. The tailings contained 5.35%

In an exactly parallel test with the same ore using 16 cos. of a 5% solution of sodium oleate, a froth was formed the solid contents of which weighed 121 grammes and assayed 18% Pb and-19% Zn, giving a recovery of 66% Pb and 13.8% Zn. The

I tailings assayed 7.9% Pb and 38% Zn.

' The product obtained as described above may be employed as a mineral-frothing agent'not only in the differential separation of certain metalliferous particles from other metalliferous particles in a mixture containing them, but also in the concentration of sulphide ores and oxidized ores.

' s an example of the concentration of an oxidized ore:

400 grammes of wolframite ore containingtungsten equal to 4.1% of WO, was agitated with 1600 cos. of soft water to which was added sodium silicate solution equivalent to 1 lb. 'of sodium silicate per ton of ore asa modifying agent, and 16 cos. of a solution prepared as in Example I. The mixture was then agitated and aerated by sub-aeration for the formation of a froth. The solid contents of the froth weighed 86 grammes and assayed tungsten equivalent to 16.8% W0 The tailings weighed 314 grammes and assayed tungsten equivalent to 0.55% W0 Thus a recovery equivalent to 88% of the wolframite was obtained.

The product described above is eflicient for the separation of cassiterite from tinbearing ores, in which case the addition of a small quantity of acid, for example onehalf pound'per ton of ore of sulphuric acid, may sometimes be desirable.

The same procedure is also applicable to oxidized ores of oopperand lead and other metals, but it is to be understood that the presence of acid may not always be-necessar 11 some cases it is preferable that the materials described above should be freshly prepared. 7

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The process of concentrating ores which consists in mixing with an ore pulp a mineral-frothing agent obtained by causing a reaction to be e ected between substances containing a soap-forming acid radical, an alkaline'radical, and a sulphide radical to produce the agent and also bringing gaseous bubbles into contact with the solid particles in the ore pulp so as to produce mineralbearing froth, and separating the froth.

2. The process of concentrating ores which consists in mixing with an ore pulp a mineral-'frothing agent obtained by causing a reaction to be effected between ingredients adapted to produce soluble soaps and alkaline sulphides When mixed, and also bringing gaseous bubbles into contact with the solid particles in the ore pulp so as to produce mineral-bearing froth, and separating the froth. I

3. 111 the froth-flotation process of concentrating ores the employment as a mineral-frothing agent of the product obtained by treating a fatty acid with a solution of an alkali which has previously been treated with sulphur.

4. The process of concentrating ores which consists in mixing with an ore pulp a mineral-frothing agent obtained by causing a reaction to be effected between ingredients adapted to produce a substantially homogeneous composition adapted to go into solution and containing in stable combination soap material and sulphur, and also bringing gaseous bubbles into contact with the solid particles in the ore pulp so as to produce mineral-bearing froth, and separating the froth.

5. The process of concentrating ores which consists in mixing with an ore pulp a mineral-frothin agent obtained by causing a reaction to be efiected between ingredients adapted to react to produce soluble soap and alkaline sulphides, so that the solution still contains additionally a soluble compound containing a sulphide radical, and also bringing gaseous bubbles into contact with the solid particles in the ore pulp so 'as to produce mineral-bearing froth, and separating the froth.

6. The process of concentrating ores which consists in mixing with an ore pulp a mineral-frothin agent obtained by causing a reaction to e effected between ingredients adapted to react to produce a clear solution of substances containing a soap-forming acid radical, an alkaline radical, and a sulphide radical, and also bringing gaseous bubbles into contact with the solid particles in the ore pulp so as to produce mineral-bearing froth and separating the froth.

'7. The process of concentrating ores which consists in mixing with an ore pulp a mineral-frothing agent obtained by causing a 1 reaction to be effected. between ingredients adapted to react when boiled together in aqueous mixture to produce a clear solution.

of substances containing a soap-forming acid radical, an alkaline radical, and a sulphide radical, and also bringing gaseous bubbles into contact with the solid particles in the ore pulp so as to produce mineral-bearing froth, and separating the froth.

8. The process of concentrating ores which consists in mixing with an ore pulp a mineral-frothing agent obtained by causing a reactionto be effected between ingredients adapted to react when boiled together in a ueous mixture to produce soluble soap and al aline sulphides, so that the solution still contains additionally a soluble com ound containing a sulphide radical, and also ring-J in gaseous bubbles into contact with the so id particles in the ore ulp so as to pro duce mineral-bearing frodi, and separating the froth. v

' 9. The process of concentrating ores which consists in mixing with anore pulp a minrral-frothing agent obtained by causing a reaction to be efiected between ingredients when boiled together in aqueous mixture adapted to produce a substantially homogeneous composition adapted to go into solution and containing in stable combination soap material and sulphur, and also bringing gaseous bubbles into contact with the solid particles in the ore plulp so as to produce mineral-bearing frot the froth.

10. The process of concentrating ores which consists in mixing with an ore pulp a mineral-frothing agent obtained by causing a reaction to be effected by boiling together a soap-forming acid radical and material containing a sulphide radical to produce the agent, and also bringing gaseous bubbles into contact with the solid particles in the ore pulp so as to produce mineral-bearing froth, and separating thev froth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

- STANLEY TUCKER.

EDWIN EDSER.

and separating 

